Saturday: a day in my life

Saturday I was up early, cleaning my studio in order to make more messes. After a quick shower and picking nearly two bushels of tomatoes in nearly total darkness, I began my day.

It's always that bit of leftover flotsom that causes the most angst. What to do with the little stuff always left over from previous projects. Too precious to throw away, but bothersome to store.

Right now I'm working on six projects, so sorting and getting materials together is more important than worrying about "the little stuff."

I have a friend who asked me to make a quick spread in her Coffee AB. I agreed since she brought it to me. I knew it had to be a quickie, and she even said she didn't want anything "over the top," because that wasn't the look she was going for. Since I respect her style, she also asked that I NOT paint the background, but use the pages as the canvas. What could be quicker than stickers? I used a bunch from a swap from many years ago. They are the Starbuck stickers they used to place on their coffee. I also had laminated a coffee cup that was printed on both sides in anticipation of using it in a different spread. When this spread came up, I added it to the page using velcro, so it can be removed for interaction.

Next it was off to "babysit" a friend's grandmother. I thought we were going to make necklaces, so I grabbed my beads and was off. However, the grandmother didn't want to make necklaces and my friend couldn't find where she left her beads. Sadly, I hadn't taken any art, and I don't really bead. I only took them so she could use them.

After leaving my friend's house, I had read there was an art exhibit at Friends University in their Fine Arts building. Either they closed early, or I was late, because the doors were locked and there was no one around. I'd never been to Friends since it's in a totally different part of town than I usually frequent. I've heard of it and seen photos of their clock tower, which they decorate at Christmas, but I'd never actually seen it. So as not to have the entire day turn into a bust, I decided to take a walk around the campus.

Friends is a private faith based University which has beautiful grounds. Since I'm used to a bustling college campus (I spent nearly half my life on three), I was blown away by the solitude and lack of activity. I could imagine this scene in early August, that time between the summer and fall semesters, but not three weeks into a new term.

As I went looking for the clock tower, I still didn't see anyone.

No one was looking at the lovely roses, and no activity seemed to be coming from the student housing in the background.

At least I was getting closer to the clock tower, even if there was no one around but me.

I looked left,

then right,

then back toward the Fine Arts center. Nothing and no one. So, I took several photos which I shared yesterday and sadly headed home.

The one bright spot in the day was the box of postcards I was given in payment for "babysitting." Yes, my friend has always called me Dr. Liz because her name is Elizabeth, too. I got the box to my kitchen table, then stopped. It was so heavy, I had to split it between two boxes before I could carry them to the basement. Altering all these postcards should be fun.

Sadly, that was all I could take for the day. I have learned that when I'm frustrated, I should not make art. By walking away, I probably saved a really, really bad art project from happening.

Today I'll be in my studio all day, or at least most of it. Hopefully all that frustration is tucked away on a shelf, hidden somewhere behind my new postcards and my old beads.